How to describe blueberry pie?

Pie transcends the narrow scope of what food can be. It crashes over you like a wave, shattering the confines of the senses, eclipsing the limitations of the emotional spectrum, breaking the chains of rational conceptualization, and surpassing the limitations of the physical world.

Pie awes the tastebuds. It satiates the stomach. It soothes the mind. And it cleanses the soul.

When taking a bite of homemade blueberry pie, there’s a fleeting moment when the world stands still. The roiling static recedes, the waters calm, the howling of the winds fade. The winding road stretches away into the abyss behind, and charges ahead into the distance until it fades from view. the lessons of the past and the trials of tomorrow are laid bare as you stand beside the trail.

For one shining moment, the world unfolds before your eyes. And you see exactly how it all fits together. Exactly where you are. Exactly what you must do.

Pie grants us a rare moment of clarity. To see ourselves in the midst of it all, for a split second.

Ingredients

Proportions for a 9-9.5 inch pie pan with a lattice topping

Steps

1. To make the crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour and salt mixture until it is well incorporated. This can done using two butter knives to chop the butter into small pieces before using your hands to smash the remaining chunks of butter into the flour. When finished, the butter should be well blended into the flour with no large pieces remaining. But, be careful not to overwork the dough. Using cold butter straight from the fridge and leaving very small bits of butter remaining in the dough results in the desired flaky and buttery crust.
2. Once flour and butter are well incorporated, gradually add small quantities of cold water until a solid mass of dough forms. Add water sparingly and use only enough to form a cohesive dough ball.
3. Separate the dough into two parts: 2/3 of the total dough for the bottom crust and 1/3 for the topping.
4. Use a rolling pin to flatten the larger dough ball into a thin disk. I like to use 2 sheets of wax paper for this step. Flour one piece of wax paper, place the dough ball on the paper, flour the top of the dough ball, and place a second piece of wax paper on top. The dough can then be rolled between the two sheets. When the rolling is complete, carefully peel off the top sheet and use the bottom sheet to flip the pie crust into the pie pan.
5. To prepare the filling, clean and rinse the blueberries. Remove excess water from the berries, pour them into the crust, and mix with about a quarter cup of flour and a quarter cup of white sugar. Use a spoon to lightly mix in the flour and sugar until the berries are evenly coated.
6. To make a lattice topping, roll out the second, smaller dough ball using the same technique. Slice the dough into 8 strips, each having about ½ – ¾  inch width.
7. Place the crust strips on top of the pie in a lattice pattern (pictured below). For the the traditional lattice, dough strips should be “woven” in an over-under pattern. Further instructions on creating the lattice pattern and recommendations for alternative toppings are included below in the “Notes” section.
8. Once the topping is in place, use the remaining dough scraps to shore up any holes or imbalances in the edge of the crust. Use two fingers to flute or pinch the edge of the crust into a rippling pattern.
9. Bake at 350 F for 30 – 45 minutes. When the pie starts to smell really good and the filling bubbles, it is close to being done. If the top crust begins to brown before the filling is sufficiently cooked, place a piece of aluminum foil over the pie to prevent the crust from burning while the filling finishes baking.
10. Remove from the oven and allow time to cool.

Notes

• On Latticing: Start by placing two dough strips perpendicular to each other on two edges of the pie. Begin laying down the remaining strips in an “over-under” pattern, alternating between “vertical” and “horizontal” strips. You will have to lift some of the strips that you have already put down in order to lay the next strip underneath. Work across the surface of the pie until there are 4 strips running in each direction (8 strips in total).
• On Alternative Toppings: If you don’t want the lattice, the top crust can be cut into whatever shapes that you like and placed in any pattern that you see fit, or excluded entirely. If you want a full layer of crust to cover the pie’s surface, use a bit more flour and butter to make a little extra dough. You can also mix oatmeal, brown sugar, and melted butter to make a sweet crumble topping.
• On Waiting: Theres a lot to be said for eating hot pie fresh out of the oven. Although hot pie is enticing, it’s best to let the pie cool completely before eating. The filling will continue to bake after the pie is removed from the oven, the filling’s consistency will “set up” so that clean slices can be removed from the pie, and the flavors will develop and intensify as the pie rests. Pie always tastes better the day after it is made.
• On Eating: Great with vanilla ice cream, better with whipped cream, and even better with homemade whipped cream that you whip yourself.

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